Navona Record release Marta Brankovich’s Black Swan of Piano, which sees the pianist performing works from the melancholic forms of 19th century composer Eric Satie to the dark, moving compositions of her own. This album invites listeners into the realms of the past, the war-torn images of her homeland, and a look into the immense possibilities for the musical future...

Black Swan of Piano is a rich and varied recording from Serbian composer and pianist Marta Brankovich.

It's interesting, because out of all this album's 10 pieces (49 min, 20 sec) it was the composers own work that I felt the most moved by. 'Victory' and 'War' have a deep and rich theme running throughout.

The works are directly inspired by melodies heard during her childhood in Serbia and the dramatic choral elements found in the Kosovo region. Her melodies refer to “the screams of the lost souls that vanished in the wars during the '90s in the Balkan region.” These compositions are dedicated to the innocent victims of violence during that dark time in her homeland.

Throughout the album, Brankovich intertwines Serbian and Western techniques with her own experimental style. This is especially present in Božić’s 'Lyric of Athos' and Clint Mansell’s 'Lux Aeterna', originally composed for the 2000 film Requiem for a Dream. The album also consists of works by acclaimed composer and professor Fredrick Kaufman, 'Metamorphosis' and 'Yin and Yang'.

For students of the piano this is an engaging and essential addition to your music library. Brankovich's performances are fluid, natural and intimate.

Track listing:

01 - TOCCATA (ZORAN HRISTIĆ) (2:38)

02 - LYRIC OF ATHOS (SVETISLAV BOŽIĆ) (6:11)

03 - VICTORY (MARTA BRANKOVICH) (4:14)

04 - WAR (MARTA BRANKOVICH) (4:11)

TROIS GNOSSIENNES (ERIK SATIE)
05 - I. Movement (4:21)
06 - II. Movement (2:28)
07 - III. Movement (3:15)

08 - METAMORPHOSIS (FREDRICK KAUFMAN) (10:15)

09 - YIN AND YANG (FREDRICK KAUFMAN) (9:05)
a Dialogue Between Two Grand Pianos
KEMAL GEKIĆ (guest performer)

10 - LUX AETERNA (CLINT MANSELL) (2:48)
leitmotif of the film Requiem for a Dream

8

Darren Rea